Alternate delivery mechanisms of customized video streaming content to devices not meant for receiving video

ABSTRACT

In one exemplary embodiment, the invention relates to a system and method for delivering content, including: reading profile data related to a user; automatically identifying a portion of at least one source video stream based on relevance to the profile data; and transforming the identified portion of the at least one source video stream into a destination media, wherein the destination media does not comprise a video stream.

[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of nonprovisionalapplication Ser. No. 10/034,679, which was filed on Dec. 28, 2001, andclaims priority to provisional application No. 60/282,204, which wasfiled Apr. 6, 2001, and to provisional application 60/296,436, which wasfiled Jun. 6, 2001, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference intheir entireties.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The invention relates to the delivery of multimedia assets to auser. More specifically, the invention relates to a method and systemfor transforming streaming video content for delivery to devices notequipped to receive data in video format.

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0005]FIG. 6 illustrates a table of representative portable andnon-portable destination devices according to one embodiment of theinvention. For each representative device, FIG. 6 indicates whether thedevice typically provides the capability for a user to be presented withtext, audio, image, or video media.

[0006] For instance, a typical wired telephone is configured only toreceive audio, however it is common for cellular or other wirelesstelephones to also be equipped for receipt of textual information,subject to subscription agreements between the user and a networkservice provider. As used herein, a smart phone, as referred to in FIG.6, may be a more capable device such as a PalmPhone™ or PocketPC Phone(hybrid devices functioning both as a personal digital assistant and atelephone), a Web-enabled phone having Wireless Application Protocol(WAP), an I-mode phone (phones having protocols tailored for access tocompatible Web sites), or other hybrid telephones.

[0007] Facsimile machines, pagers, one or two-way radios, and personalcomputers are well-known destination devices.

[0008] Personal Digital Assistants (PDA's) have evolved into a range ofproducts; FIG. 6 contemplates PDA's with network communicationcapabilities. An electronic picture frame, as used herein, refers to aspecial class of computers having a network communication capability,and adapted, typically with a large high-resolution display, to functionas a digital photo display device. Ceiva's Digital Photo Receiver is anexample of an electronic picture frame. A tablet PC is a type ofnotebook-sized personal computer where a user makes inputs via a digitalpen and input panel.

[0009]FIG. 6 thus refers to a wide range of potential destinationdevices, many of which are adapted to mobile application environments.The destination devices of FIG. 6 present various disadvantages in termsof the type of media that they are capable of presenting to a user. Forexample, only selected device types are capable of receiving andpresenting video streams to a user. Moreover, even within those fewdevice types, only selected models have such capability. Videobroadcasts, however, represent an abundant source of information. Thus,even where advances are made in searching video stream sources, thereexists a need for systems and methods to transform video stream contentfor delivery to destination devices not equipped to receive streamingvideo media.

[0010] The foregoing description of the known art is hereby applied tothe detailed description of the invention to the extent that suchdisclosure enables one to practice the invention, or for other reasons.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] In one exemplary embodiment, the invention relates to a methodfor delivering content, including: reading profile data related to auser; automatically identifying a portion of at least one source videostream based on relevance to the profile data; and transforming theidentified portion of the at least one source video stream into adestination media, wherein the destination media does not comprise avideo stream.

[0012] In another embodiment, the invention provides a system fordelivering content, having: a server configured to read profile datarelated to a user, automatically identify a portion of at least onesource video stream based on relevance to the profile data, andtransform the identified portion of the at least one source video streaminto a destination media, wherein the destination media does notcomprise a video stream; and an interface to a destination devicecoupled to the server and configured to receive the destination media.

[0013] The features and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following drawings and description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The invention is described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical orfunctionally similar elements. Additionally, the left-most digit of areference number identifies the drawing in which the reference numberfirst appears.

[0015]FIG. 1 demonstrates an exemplary methodology for media processingaccording to one embodiment of the invention.

[0016]FIG. 2 illustrates an architecture for implementing an exemplaryembodiment of the invention.

[0017]FIG. 3 demonstrates a more specific hardware architectureaccording to another exemplary embodiment of the invention.

[0018]FIG. 4 is an exemplary page view of a page viewed by a userutilizing a client according to one embodiment of the invention.

[0019]FIG. 5 demonstrates a page view showing a content retrieval pageaccording to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 4.

[0020]FIG. 6 illustrates a table of representative destination devicesaccording to one embodiment of the invention.

[0021]FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating transformation of videosource data according to one embodiment of the invention.

[0022]FIG. 8A is a system diagram illustrating a functional architectureaccording to one embodiment of the invention.

[0023]FIG. 8B is a flow diagram illustrating a method for deliveringvideo source content according to one embodiment of the invention.

[0024]FIG. 9A is a system diagram illustrating a functional architectureaccording to one embodiment of the invention.

[0025]FIG. 9B is a flow diagram illustrating a method for deliveringvideo source content according to one embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] While the invention is described below with respect to variousexemplary embodiments, the invention is not limited to only thoseembodiments that are disclosed. Other embodiments can be implemented bythose skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention.

[0027] The invention solves the above-discussed problems and provides apersonalized, customizable multimedia delivery service that isconvenient and easy to use. In one embodiment of the invention, theservice works by recording all of the video streams of appropriatesource and interest to a target audience. For example, the service mayrecord content from a collection of (or a particular one of) sports ornews channels on television. In another example, the service may recordcontent related to training videos, presentations or executive meetingsin a business, school or other particularized environment. Recording mayoccur as the content is originally being broadcast (i.e., live),afterwards from recorded media, or even before the content is broadcastto its intended audience.

[0028] Once the content is captured and recorded, it can be segmented,analyzed and/or classified, and thereafter stored on a platform. Forexample, the content can be broken down into its component parts, suchas video, audio and/or text. The text can include, for example, closedcaption text associated with the original transmission, text generatedfrom an audio portion by speech recognition software, or a transcriptionof the audio portion created before or after the transmission. In thelatter case, it becomes possible to utilize the invention in conjunctionwith executive speeches, conferences, corporate training, business TV,advertising, and many other sources of video which do not typically haveavailable an associated textual basis for searching the video.

[0029] Having obtained or generated the text, it can then be used as abasis for searching the multimedia content. In particular, the textprovides the basis for an exemplary methodology for overcoming theabove-identified problems associated with searching video in the priorart. That is, if a user wishes to search the stored content for videosegments relevant to the President of the United States discussing aparticular topic, then the President's name and the associated topic canbe searched for within the text associated with the video segments.Whenever the President's name and the associated topic are located, analgorithm can be used to determine which portion of an entire video fileactually pertains to the desired content and should therefore beextracted for delivery to the user. Thus, if a video file comprises anentire news broadcast about a number of subjects, the user will receiveonly those portions of the broadcast, if any, that pertain to thePresident and the particular topic desired. For example, this couldinclude segments in which the President talks about the topic, orsegments in which another talks about the topic and the President'sposition.

[0030] Once the pertinent segments of the broadcast have beenappropriately extracted, for a given user, they can be stitched togetherfor continuous delivery to that user. In this way, for example, thesegments can be streamed to the user as a means of providing aneasy-to-use delivery methodology for the user, and as a means ofconserving bandwidth. Users can view the delivered multimedia asset inits entirety, skip between the assets, or view only portions of theassets, as they desire. Moreover, a user can have access to portions ofthe original video file that occurred immediately before or after theextracted segments; for example, the user could choose to watch theentire original video file. Such access can be granted by including a“more” or “complete” button in a user interface.

[0031] In one embodiment of the invention, a profile of the user isstored which specifies criteria for searching available multimediaassets. The criteria may include, for example, key words and/or phrases,a source(s) of the content, etc. The profile can be set directly by theuser via interaction with an appropriately designed graphical userinterface (GUI). When such a profile is available, the invention iscapable of automatically searching the available assets on a periodicbasis, and thereafter extracting, combining and delivering the compiledassets (or segments thereof, regardless of their original source) to theuser. In one embodiment, the invention can be utilized such that aservice platform assisting in implementing the invention notifies theuser whenever new multimedia assets consistent with the user's profilehave been prepared. In another embodiment, the invention mayautomatically deliver multimedia assets in accordance with a user'sprofile according to a predetermined schedule, such as hourly or daily.Alternatively, the invention may notify the user of the presence ofdesired video clips, rather than actually deliver those clips.

[0032] The assets can be classified and indexed on-the-fly as they arereceived. In this way, the assets can be compared against the user'sprofile virtually in real-time, so that results can be provided to theuser (and the user can be notified) whenever they become available.Furthermore, a user can provide criteria for a search or searches beyondthose set in the user's profile.

[0033] The identified assets can be delivered to the user in a varietyof manners. For example, delivery may occur via cable or satellitetelevision, or directly to a personal computer. The invention can bepracticed via a plurality of platforms and networks. For example, theinvention may be practiced over the Internet to reach a large consumeraudience, or it may be practiced over an Intranet to reach a highlytargeted business or industry target.

[0034] In one embodiment, the invention allows video streaming ofidentified video clips. Video streaming (i.e., allowing the viewing of avideo clip as it is downloaded rather than only after it is downloaded,which speeds the viewing process and largely obviates the need for videostorage at the user location) is a communications technique that isgrowing in popularity with the increasing availability of both videoplayers (especially for use with personal computers) and bandwidth tothe average consumer. However, no conventional service allows users toaccurately and quickly find desired clips for playing, and do notprovide a ready means for providers to profit from the video streamsthat are provided.

[0035] When streaming the identified video clips, users may receive onlythose video clips identified by a search executed on the user's behalf.However, if a user desires, he or she may also choose to view an entireprogram from which the clip(s) was extracted. A user may also be allowedto choose some or all of the video clips for long-term storage, wherebythe clip(s) can be archived for later use. In one embodiment, the usermay store the clips at a local computer, and thereafter make the clipsavailable to other users connected via a peer-to-peer network.

[0036] In another embodiment, the invention allows improvedvideo-on-demand (VOD). VOD is typically defined in the cable/satellitetelevision arena as the ability to request programming at any time andto have VCR-like controls over the content being streamed to the TV. Theinvention adds value to conventional VOD by allowing the user to demandvideo more accurately and completely.

[0037] An extension to VOD is personal video recorder (PVR) technology,which allows even more control over TV programs being viewed. CurrentPVR implementations are offered by TiVo and ReplayTV, and allow usersgreat flexibility in storing programs for later viewing and/ormanipulation in viewing (e.g., skipping over commercials in a televisionprogram). The invention provides a searching tool for allowing users tofind interesting programs, even from a variety of channel sources, tothereafter be recorded and viewed using PVR technology.

[0038] Moreover, whereas conventional PVR records only entire programsbased on a user's directions, the invention permits the recording ofonly those portions of programs that the user desires. In this regard,the invention contemplates recording the desired portions either bydoing so directly from the program, or by recording the entire programlocally and then utilizing only those portions of the program desired bythe user.

[0039] Having described various exemplary embodiments of the invention,it should be noted that the terms “video file,” “video input,” “video,”“video program” or any similar term refers generically to any analog ordigital video information, including any content associated therewith,such as multimedia content, closed caption text, etc. The terms “clip,”“video clip,” “electronic clip” or “eClip” should be understood to referto any subsection of a video program that is selected based on a usersearch criterion. Also, the terms “extracting,” “parsing,” “removing,”“accessing” or any similar term with respect to a video file refers tothe use of a selected portion of the video file. Such use may includeliteral removal (permanent or temporary) from the context of a largerfile, copying of the selected portion for external use, or any othermethod for utilizing the selected portion.

[0040] Based on the above-described features of the invention, a usermay accurately, completely and promptly receive multimedia assets thathe or she finds interesting, and may conveniently exploit the receivedassets in a manner best-suited to that user.

[0041]FIG. 1 demonstrates an exemplary methodology for media processingin a digital video library (DVL) according to one embodiment of theinvention. Such media processing is used in implementing the inventionat a user level, by capturing, segmenting and classifying multimediaassets for later use and manipulation. It should be noted that the mediaprocessing implementation of FIG. 1 and discussion of associatedconcepts are provided in greater detail in the following documents,which are hereby incorporated herein by reference: Shahraray B., “SceneChange Detection and Content-Based Sampling of Video Sequences,” Proc.SPIE 2419, Digital Video Compression: Algorithms and Technologies, pp.2-13, February 1995; Shahraray B., Cox R., Haskell B., LeCun Y., RabinerL., “Multimedia Processing for Advanced Communications Services”, inMultimedia Communications, F. De Natale and S. Pupolin Editors, pp.510-523, Springer-Verlag, 1999; Gibbon D., “Generating HypermediaDocuments from Transcriptions of Television Programs Using Parallel TextAlignment,” in Handbook of Internet and Multimedia Systems andApplications, Borko Furht Editor, CRC Press 1998; Shahraray B.“Multimedia Information Retrieval Using Pictorial Transcripts,” inHandbook of Multimedia Computing, Borko Furht Editor, CRC Press 1998;and Huang Q., Liu Z., Rosenberg A., Gibbon D., Shahraray B., “AutomatedGeneration of News Content Hierarchy By Integrating Audio, Video, andText Information,” Proc. IEEE International Conference On Acoustics,Speech, and Signal Processing ICASSP'99, pp. 3025-3028, Phoenix; Ariz.,May 1999.

[0042] In FIG. 1, multimedia assets including video 105, associated textcaptions 110 and corresponding audio portions 115 are imported into thesystem for processing. Content-based sampling engine 135 receives thevideo 105 and segments it into individual shots or video frames; thisinformation will be combined with information extracted from the othercomponents of the video program to enable the extraction of individualstories (i.e., video segments related to a particular topic or topics),as will be described. Additionally, this process allows a representativeimage for a particular story, segment or clip to be selected by engine160; and second, the process allows boundaries around the story, segmentor clip to be set by engine 155.

[0043] A database 120 of linguistic rules is used by linguistic analysisengine 140 to combine the caption information 110 with the segmentedvideo within engines 155 and 160, to thereby assist in the functionalityof those two engines. Similarly, information within model databases 125and 130 is used by acoustic classification engine 145 and programidentification engine 150 to provide segmentation/identification ofcommercials and programs, respectively. Once the multimedia asset(s)have been captured, segmented and classified as described above, theycan be stored thereafter in DVL database 165.

[0044] All of the information from engines 135-150 is utilized inengines 155 and 160 to discern a length of a particular video story orclip that will be associated with each topic. In particular, forexample, multimodal story segmentation algorithms such as thosedescribed in “Automated Generation of News Content Hierarchy ByIntegrating Audio, Video, and Text Information” (above) can be used todetermine an appropriate length of a video clip to be associated with aparticular topic. Similarly, the algorithm can be used in conjunctionwith the user profile to either compare the profile information tonewly-acquired content on-the-fly, or to similarly determine anappropriate length for a video clip to be associated with a particularportion of the user profile.

[0045] As referred to above, textual information used to identify clipsof interest can be derived, for example, from closed caption text thataccompanies most television programs. Real-time closed captioningtypically lags behind the audio and video by a variable amount of timefrom about 1 to 10 seconds. To take this factor into account, theembodiment of FIG. 1 is capable of using speech processing to generatevery accurate word timestamps.

[0046] When closed caption text is not available, a large vocabularyautomatic speech recognition system can be used to generate a transcriptof the audio track. While the accuracy of the automatically generatedtranscripts is below that of closed captions, they provide a reasonablealternative for identifying clips of interest with reduced, butacceptable, accuracy. Alternatively, a parallel text alignment algorithmcan be used to import high quality off-line transcripts of the programwhen they are or become available.

[0047]FIG. 2 implements an architecture for implementing an exemplaryembodiment of the invention. It should be noted that the architecturalelements discussed below can be deployed to a user and/or provider ofmultimedia assets in whole or in part, and therefore each elementinterfaces with one another and external components using standard,conventional interfaces.

[0048] In FIG. 2, Video Capture/Media Analysis component 205 records andcompresses broadcast TV programming. Also at component 205, variousfunctions can be performed on the content such as scene changedetection, audio analysis, and compression. These video files areshipped to the Video Storage database 210 from which they will be servedwhen the video is streamed to the client 250.

[0049] Associated metadata is shipped to the Metadata database 215. Notethat thumbnail images are included as part of the metadata, as well asterms and/or phrases associated with a clip(s) for categorizing theclip(s) within a topical subset. Typically, this video capture/mediaanalysis process need not occur in real time. However, there is noreason why it could not occur in real time if an operator so desires andwishes to devote sufficient computational resources. In any case, it isnot necessary to wait until a show is completed before indexing andsearching that show.

[0050] Video Server 220 responds to clip requests and makes the videocontent available to the client 250. For example, the video server 220may download the video clips in whole or in part, stream the clips(e.g., via MPEG4 ASF or MPEG2) to the client 250 or generate the clipmetadata discussed above (such as terms and/or phrases associated with aclip for categorizing the clip within a topical subset).

[0051] DVL Server 225 handles query requests (such as how many clips areavailable, which shows have clips, etc.) and/or clip content requests(metadata that describes clip content including “clip pointer” to videocontent). Thus, it handles multimedia search (such as closed captiontext) and determines the start and stop times of the clips, which aredesignated with “clip pointers,” as just mentioned.

[0052] eClips server 230 handles client requests for web pages relatedto a service for providing eClips. eClips server 230 utilizes PerlCommon Gateway Interface (CGI) scripts that the client navigates inorder to perform the functions of the eClips service. For example, thescripts deal with login/registration related pages, home page, profilerelated pages, archive related pages, player pages, and administrationrelated pages. Player scripts can be launched in a separate window. EachCGI request from the client 250 will return HTML with HTML DIVs,JavaScript, and CSS style sheets. The DIVs and CSS style sheets are usedto position the various elements of the page. DHTML is used todynamically load DIV content on the fly (for instance, a list of showsin an instant search pulldown performed by a user).

[0053] In FIG. 2, three databases 235, 240 and 245 are shown asExtensible Markup Language (XML) databases. Thus, Perl scripts can beutilized to access (i.e., read from and/or write to) these databases viaXML. Specifically, these three databases include show database 235,which contains information about recorded broadcasts, Profile database245, which contains personal search terms and/or phrases, and Archivedatabase 240, which contains saved clip information (e.g., entire clipsor simply clip pointers).

[0054] eClips Client 250, in one embodiment, includes a JavaScript thateach Perl script includes in the HTML that is returned from the eClipsserver 230. It is through the JavaScript that the client 250 interactswith the DVL server 225 to determine the desired content and throughJavaScript that the client initiates the streaming content with thevideo server 220. The JavaScript also accesses (reads) the Show andProfile XML files in those databases.

[0055] The Video Server 220 may have a separate IP host name, and shouldsupport HTTP streaming. The DVL and eClips servers 225 and 230 may havethe same IP host name, and may be collocated within a single machine.

[0056] In FIG. 2, the key interactions that cause video to be streamedto the client 250 are demonstrated. In a home page view, a user haslogged in already and should see a list of topics determined by theirprofile, as well as the number of clips for each topic. An example of atopic could be “sports” and the keyword string associated with thistopic could be football, baseball, hockey. The keyword string is used tosearch the CC text (in this case, clips that have any of these termswill be valid).

[0057] When the home page is loaded, JavaScript will send a CGI query toDVL server 225, which generates an XML response. The XML is parsed intoJavaScript variables on the client using the XML document object model(DOM). The CGI query and XML response is implemented as part of the DVLsystem and acts as a layer above an Index Server, which, as part of theDVL server 225, performs text indexing of the video clips (as discussedabove) that allows the user to locate a desired clip. The XML responsewill include the number of clips found for each topic. It is with thesequery responses that the home page knows which topics have hits and canactivate the links to play the content.

[0058] These JavaScript links, when clicked, can launch the player pagein a separate window. When the player page is loaded, essentially thesame JavaScript can be used to recalculate the number of clips for eachtopic. In principle, this could be changed to calculate this only onceand to pass this on to the player script thereafter. The JavaScript mayalso run a query to get the list of shows with clips for a particulartopic. The JavaScript then loops through all the shows with hits andqueries the DVL server via the separate CGI script to get the clipinformation needed to play the clip. This information is also returnedvia XML and parsed via the JavaScript. The JavaScript loads various DIVsthat depend on this information, such as hit search term found in CCtext, CC text, and thumbnail. Finally, the player page JavaScript startsthe media player with the first clip using a pointer (start time) to thevideo. It should be noted that, in one embodiment of the invention, thejust-described process is almost completely automated, so that dynamicclip extraction occurs when a clip is selected, and a show automaticallystarts and will play completely through if not interrupted by the user.

[0059] In the architecture shown in FIG. 2, eClips client 250 may resideon, for example, a user's home or business computer, a personal digitalassistant (PDA), or a set-top box on a user's television set. Client 250interacts with eClips server 230 as discussed above to provide the userwith an interface for viewing and utilizing the video clips. Client 250can be written to contain, for example, a JavaScript object thatcontains profile results (eClips object). A user using eClips client 250running on a PC may access stored clips through a network, such as theInternet or a locally defined Intranet.

[0060] In one embodiment, the user defines a search criterion, eitherthrough an “instant search” feature or within a user profile. Whenmultiple clips are found matching the user search, the clips can bestitched together and streamed to the user as one continuous program. Inanother embodiment, eClips server periodically searches for clipsmatching a given user's profile, and makes the clips available to theuser, perhaps by notifying the user via email of the availability of theclips.

[0061] The architecture shown in FIG. 2 allows for video to be storedand displayed in several formats including MPEG2 (e.g., for digitaltelevision and video on demand) and MPEG4 (e.g., for streaming video onthe Internet). As mentioned above, the video may be stored for later useby the user; in particular, a user may archive some or all of thereceived video and thereafter permit searching and uploading of thevideo from storage by other members of a peer-to-peer computer network.

[0062]FIG. 3 demonstrates a more specific hardware architectureaccording to another exemplary embodiment of the invention. In FIG. 3,video feeds 310 are received through various sources (such as televisionchannels CNN, ESPN and CNBC) at Video Capture/Media Analysis component205 within Video Distribution Center 305. Component 205 receives thefeeds and forwards captured/analyzed results to video server 220 and/orDVL/eClips server 225/230 within cable Headend 325. In FIG. 3, videoanalysis portion 315 is illustrated within component 205, although itshould be understood from FIG. 2 and the associated discussion abovethat component 205 may perform other media analysis such as audioanalysis. The DVL/eClips servers 225/230 operate as described above inconjunction with FIG. 2 to deliver, using, for example, Hybrid FiberCoaxial (HFC) connections, all or part of the video feeds to routing hub330, and then through fiber node 340 to cable modem 350 located withinuser home 355. Additional marketing and advertising (such as acommercial placed between every third clip stitched together) could betied into the video stream in one embodiment of the invention at theHeadend from providers 320 such as Double Click.

[0063] Within user home 355 the feed is received at cable modem 350 viahigh speed data line (HSD) to a PC 360 running eClips client 250.Alternatively, the feed could be sent to Set top box 370 atop TV 380,where Set top box 370 runs eClips client 250. In the example where thevideo clips are received via cable modem 350, the service can bestreamed as high speed data (HSD) through a cable modem as MPEG4 video.When the video is received via Set top box 370, it can be delivered asMPEG2 over video on demand (VOD) channels that could be set up inadvance for a service providing the invention.

[0064]FIG. 4 is an exemplary page view of a page viewed by a userutilizing an eClips client according to one embodiment of the invention.In FIG. 4, for example, the user might see page view 400 just afterlogging in to a system implementing the invention. In page view 400,section 405 demonstrates the results of a profile search performed forthe user on a given day, or over some other pre-defined period,according to the previously stored profile of that user. In section 405,clips are listed both by topic and by number of clips related to thattopic. In section 405, the user therefore has the option of viewing oneor more of the clips related to a particular topic.

[0065] Section 405 also identifies a source for the criteria used toselect the various topical clips. More specifically, on a profile page,a user can select default sources (shows) which will be searched basedon the user's profile; this is referred to as a “Main” list, and wouldrestrict any profile topic that has the Main option to search only thoseshows selected on the profile page. On a topic editor page, where a useris allowed to add or modify topics for searching, the user can specifythis Main list, or can make Custom selections that are only valid for aparticular search topic. In section 405, the user has selected thelatter option, and so a “source” is shown as Custom.

[0066] In section 410, the user additionally has the option of enteringnew search terms and/or phrases not related to his or her currentprofile, whereby the invention searches a clips database via DVL serveras described above with respect to FIG. 2. Section 415 indicates themedia sources which will be searched for the terms or phrases entered insection 410.

[0067] Also, in page view 400, button 420, “Play all clips,” allows auser to view all currently available clips with one click. The user canadd a new topic using button 425. The user can return to a home page byclicking on button 430 (although this option is only valid when the useris on a page different from the home page 400 itself), access hisprofile via button 435 and access an archive of previously saved clipsvia button 440. Finally, a user can log out of the service using button445.

[0068]FIG. 5 demonstrates a page view 500 showing a content retrievalpage according to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 4. In section505, still frames of the beginning of each clip (i.e., thumbnails)within a topic can be viewed by the user. Section 505 can be controlledby section 515, which allows the user to select a topic of clips to beshown, as well as section 520, which allows a user to select a portionof the clips from that topic that will be played. With buttons 560 and565, a user may clear or select all of the clips being shown within aparticular topic.

[0069] When one or more of these clips is chosen for viewing by theuser, that clip is shown in section 510. Section 510 can be controlledby buttons 525-550, which allow a user to skip to a previous clip withbutton 525, stop the clip with button 530, play the clip with button535, skip the clip with button 540, switch to a new topic of clips withbutton 545 or view footage after the selected clip(s) with button 550.Note that section 510 may also include advertisements 555, and maydisplay a time remaining for a currently playing clip, a source of theclip, and a date and time the clip was originally broadcast.

[0070] In one exemplary embodiment of the invention, page 500 will playall of the clips currently available in a predetermined order (e.g.,reverse chronological order, by source of content, etc.) if the userdoes not choose a specific topic or clip. Button 570 is activated when auser wants to view the clip(s) available; i.e., as shown in view 500.Button 575 allows the user to send (e.g., email) the clip(s) to anotheruser, and button 580 allows the user to save the clip(s) to an archive(i.e., the archive accessed by button 440 in FIG. 4).

[0071] Having discussed various exemplary embodiments of the inventionand associated features thereof, as well as potential uses of theinvention, the following provides a more detailed summary of applicationcategories in which the invention is of use.

[0072] Generally speaking, because the invention can capture contentfrom nearly any multimedia source and then use standard streaming mediato deliver the appropriate associated clips, it is nearly limitless inthe markets and industries that it can support.

[0073] As a practical matter, the invention can be packaged to addressdifferent market segments. Therefore, it should be assumed that thetarget markets and applications supported could fall into, for example,any or all of the Consumer, Business-to-Consumer or Business-to-BusinessMarketplaces. The following discussion summarizes some exemplaryapplication categories.

[0074] First, as a consumer offering, the invention can be provided asan extension to standard television programming. In this model, an ISP,Cable Programming Provider, Web Portal Provider, etc., may allowconsumers to sign up for this service, or the set of features providedby the invention can be provided as a premium subscription.

[0075] In the consumer service model, a consumer would enter a set ofkeywords and/or phrases in the profile. In addition, as part of thepreferences selected in the profile the user may determine that onlyspecific content sources should be monitored. As the user profile iscreated or changed it would be updated in the user profile database. Asvideo content is captured in the system, the user profile database ismatched against the closed caption text. As an example, a consumer maybe interested in sports but only want to see the specific “play of theday.” In this scenario, the consumer would enter the key words “play ofthe day” and then identify in the profile the specific content sources(channels or programs) that should be recorded/analyzed by theinvention. For example, the consumer could choose channels that playsports games or report on sports news. When the consumer returns fromwork that evening, a site or channel for accessing the invention wouldbe accessed. This consumer would then see all of the clips of programsthat matched the keywords “play of the day,” meaning that this consumerwould see in one session all of the content and clips matching that setof words.

[0076] As another example, in a Business-to-Consumer offering, theinvention can be provided as an extension to standard televisionprogramming. In this case, both the programming and its sponsorshipwould be different from the consumer model above. For example, acorporate sponsor or numerous corporate sponsors may offer specifictypes of content, or may offer an assemblage of content overlaid withadvertising sponsorship. The sponsorship would be evident in theadvertising that would be embedded in the player or in the content,since the design of the invention is modular in design and allows forcustomization.

[0077] In the Business-to-Consumer service model, a consumer would entera set of keywords in the profile. As the user profile is created orchanged it would be updated in the user profile database. Because thismodel and the content provided would be underwritten by corporatesponsorship, the content provided may be limited to a proprietary set ofcontent. As an example, if CNN were the sponsor of the service, all ofthe content provided may be limited to CNN's own broadcasts. Inaddition, it may be very evident to the consumer that the service isbrought to them by CNN in that the CNN logo may be embedded in the userinterface, or may be embedded in the content itself.

[0078] Next, as a Business-to-Business offering, the invention can beused in intra-company applications as well as extra-companyapplications. The applications supported include, as just a fewexamples: Business TV, Advertising, Executive Announcements, FinancialNews, Training, Competitive Information Services, Industry Conferences,etc. In essence, the invention can be used as a tool to assist employeesin retrieving and viewing specific portions of content on demand.

[0079] In this Business-to-Business service model, a user would enter aset of keywords in the profile that would be updated in the user profiledatabase. In this case, the content captured will be dependent upon thebusiness audience using the service.

[0080] In an intra-business application, the user may wish to combinesources from within the business and sources outside of the business. Asan example a user may wish to see all clips dealing with the category“Virtual Private Networks.” In this example, a business may have planneda new advertising campaign talking about “Virtual Private Networks” andhave an advertisement available to its internal personnel. At the sametime, there may be an internal training class that has been recorded andis available internally in which a section talks about “Virtual PrivateNetworks.” Again, this could be another content option captured by theinvention. Also, one of this company's competitors may have provided atalk at an industry conference the day before about their solution forthe “Virtual Private Network” area. As with the other content options,this too could be captured and available as a content option through theinvention. Therefore, when our user begins a session using the inventionand looks under the term “Virtual Private Networks,” there could benumerous clips available from multiple sources (internal and external)to provide this user with a complete multimedia view of “Virtual PrivateNetworks”.

[0081] As an extra-business tool, the invention can provide businesses,their suppliers, their best customers, and all other members ofcommunities of interests with specific targeted content clips thatstrengthen the relationships. These may include (but not be limited to)product details, new announcements, public relations messages, etc.

[0082] As further examples of applications of the invention, thefollowing represent industry applications which may benefit from use ofthe invention.

[0083] In the financial industry, financial information can be availablefor both professionals and potential clients to receive late-breakinginformation on stocks, companies and the global markets. The informationcan be from a variety of sources such as Financial News Network,Bloomberg, CNN, etc. and allow users to identify key areas of interestand to continually be up to date.

[0084] In the advertising/announcements industry, advertisers would beable to target their ads to consumers based on peoples' preferences asexpressed in their profiles. This is potentially a win/win situationbecause people would not be getting any more ads but they would beseeing more things that interest them. Advertisers could charge more forthis targeted approach and thereby pay for any costs associated with theinvention.

[0085] Similarly, large companies run TV advertisements for a multitudeof products, services, target markets, etc. These companies couldbenefit by housing these commercials on an on-line database that can beaccessible to their marketing staff, the advertising agencies, andclients interested in seeing particular commercials that used specificwords or product names. The invention can then allow these commercialsto be easily searched and accessed.

[0086] In the entertainment industry, the movie industry can use theinvention to easily scan through archives of old and new movie footagethat can be digitized and stored in a central repository. Sportshighlights can be made available for particular games or events.Networks could maintain a library of indexed TV shows (e.g., PBS) whereusers can search for a particular episode/topic.

[0087] In the travel industry, searches can be done on new informationin the travel industry such as airlines, causes of delays, etc. Inaddition, the invention can be used to provide key clips from specificresorts and other potential vacation destinations.

[0088] In the distance learning/education industry, a large variety ofcourses could be stored on-line. In many circumstances, a user may wantto only see the salient points on a specific topic of interest. Theinvention can then play a key role in providing support to the user foraccess and retrieval of the key needed information.

[0089] For conferences and trade events, the invention can be aninformation dissemination tool for finding the latest informationquickly when videos are captured of talks and demonstrations in keyevents.

[0090] One embodiment of the invention relates to current bandwidthshortages and limitations which sometimes limit the-prompt and effectiveprovisioning of streaming video and other media. For example, Internetusers, particularly home Internet users, often do not have access tohigh-speed data rates such as those found in cable and/or fiber-optictransmissions. As a result, such users often experience a significantdelay between the time a video stream is selected and the time thestream actually begins to play. This delay time may be additionallyand/or further exacerbated by the need to buffer an initial portion ofthe video stream locally, so that the video stream will play smoothlyonce it does begin to play. These shortcomings of conventional streamingtechniques may therefore also affect the provisioning of eClips serversaccording to the invention, as has already been described.

[0091] In order to alleviate the need for a user of the eClips serviceor other media streaming service to wait in front of a blank screenwhile the media prepares to play, the invention provides relevantinformation to the user during such a potential wait time, therebyproviding entertainment, advertising or other services and reducing theapparent wait time until playing begins. For example, with respect tothe eClips service described above, a user receiving a customized mediapresentation might have information relevant to the subject matter ofthe presentation automatically downloaded from a DVL/eClips serverduring an off-time (such as late at night). The relevant information canbe determined based on, for example, a user profile set up as part ofthe eClips service and in a manner similar to that described above forformulating the customized media presentation itself. The informationmight also be information previously obtained and stored locally by theuser for viewing which has simply not yet been viewed by the user. Thisway, the information can be made available on the user's local harddrive, and can therefore be played immediately upon selection of aparticular media stream, during the time when the media stream is beingdelivered and/or buffered for viewing. While the information is beingdisplayed, the viewer may choose to see the information in its entiretybefore viewing the particular video stream selected for viewing. Inanother embodiment, however, the user may discontinue viewing the localinformation as soon as the primary stream becomes available.

[0092] Relevant information that might be embedded into a media streambeing delivered as just described might include, for example,information about the subject matter of the stream or informationrelated thereto, such as advertising for related products or services.Additional possibilities for embedding into the media stream includegraphics, games, text, pictures and other types of known media assets.The invention might operate through the use of multiple media players,perhaps displaying only one instance of a particular video stream. Forexample, if the particular video stream is selected for viewing on acertain media player, the invention might automatically (or optionally)open a second media player for playing the locally stored information tobe displayed prior to the playing of the primary video stream. Moreover,the invention might display multiple pieces of relevant information, sothat the user may choose what to view during the wait time for theprimary stream. For example, a number of video thumbscreens or videoshots might be displayed from which the user can choose for viewing.Software at the user's local system may be operable to set forth acriterion and/or timing according to which information to be embedded islocated, stored and/or displayed. Alternatively, this functionality maybe enabled at a server location, for example, using the DVL/eClipsserver discussed above.

[0093] In another embodiment, the invention embeds locally stored mediainto a video or other media stream to be presented to the viewer, sothat the user avoids any wait time in viewing the selected stream thatmay occur due to bandwidth shortages or other system considerations. Thelocally stored media may be relevant to the content of the primarystream, so that the user does not have to wait an undue amount of timeto view information about a desired topic.

[0094] Although large multimedia files often must be delivered viabroadband communication links, the fact that the invention extractsexactly what the user is interested in makes it possible to deliverdownloadable content to portable devices efficiently. The content caninclude video clips as discussed primarily above, or can be limited tostill frames and text (or just text) if bandwidth/storage does notpermit full motion video with audio. Hybrid schemes are alsocontemplated in which some of the content includes video, but other(e.g., perhaps older, or repeated similar stories from multiple sources)clips only include audio, or include only still images and/or text. Inthis regard, multimedia analysis techniques can be used to determine ifstories are about the same topic, or contain the same video material.Because the invention is capable of using standard access and deliverymethods, it can be employed in virtually any home or industryapplication where delivery of multimedia assets is desired.

[0095]FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating transformation of videosource data 710 according to one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 7illustrates several alternative transformation paths to deliver contentof video source 710 to destination devices 775. As used herein, videosource data 710 may be live streaming video, delayed streaming video, orstored video data.

[0096] Sampling function 715 processes video source data 710 to producestatic images 720. In an embodiment where video source data 710 isstreaming video, capture process 723 produces a video file 725 fromvideo source data 710. Static images 720 or video files 725 are thendelivered to destination devices 775.

[0097]FIG. 7 illustrates that demultiplexing process 745 processes videosource file 710 to obtain or produce audio stream 750. The flowchartshows that there are at least four options for the delivery of audiostream 750. First, audio stream 750 can be delivered to destinationdevices 775 directly. Second, capture process 753 can create sound file755 from audio stream 750 for eventual delivery to destination devices775 via link 780. Third, speech recognition process 760 can processaudio stream 750 to produce text 765. Text 765 can then be delivered todestination devices 775. Fourth, process 768 can further process text765 to provide for correction of errors generated by the speechrecognition process 760, or may, either in the alternative or incombination, translate text 765 to another language to produce processedtext 770. Processed text 770 can then be delivered to destinationdevices 775.

[0098] In addition, FIG. 7 illustrates that extraction process 728generates Closed Caption Text (CCT) 730 from video source data 710.Process 733 corrects for errors in CCT 730, provides languagetranslation, and/or performs other translations to generate processedCCT 735. Processed CCT 735 may be delivered directly to destinationdevices 775. In the alternative, text-to-speech process 740 operates oneither CCT 730 or processed CCT 735 to produce audio stream 750, with atleast all transformation paths available as described above with regardto audio stream 750 for eventual delivery to destination devices 775.

[0099] Destination devices 775 may be or include, for example, any ofthe representative devices referred to in FIG. 6 and described in thebackground section of this specification. A user's choice of destinationdevice will effect the manner in which the user will select and navigatedelivered content.

[0100] A user may use a single destination device, or the user may usemultiple devices in combination to receive delivered content. Forinstance, a particular user may utilize a facsimile to receive an image720 and a wireless telephone to receive an audio stream 750. Wheremultiple destination devices are used, and where the media delivered tothe multiple destination devices are related, the delivered content maybe associated using tags or other identifiers that allow a user to alignthe content received on multiple devices. For example, audio stream 750received on a wireless telephone may be associated to images 720 sent toa facsimile with reference to a page number of the facsimiletransmission.

[0101] As a general matter, not all transformations described withreference to FIG. 7 will need to be performed in delivering content froma source video to a user. Content may be tailored to a targetdestination device 775 according to known alerting or notificationutilities that communicate a class of destination device to a contentprovider at or near a time of delivery. In the alternative, or incombination, content may be tailored according to a predetermined userprofile.

[0102] Transformed content may be delivered to destination devices 775according to alternative timing schemes. For example, CCT 730, processedCCT 735, audio stream 750, text 765, processed text 770 may be deliveredin near real-time (e.g., where content delivery is delayed only byprocessing and communication overhead). In other embodiments,transformed content is stored for later delivery. Moreover, the timingfor delivery of stored content may be according to a predeterminedschedule, such as a set time of day. In addition, or in the alternative,content can be delivered according to a set interval of time, such asevery hour or other fixed period of time. The predetermined schedule maybe specified in a user's profile data. In addition, or in thealternative, the delivery of near real-time and/or stored content may beevent-triggered. For instance, a user profile may specify that breakingheadline news, special reports, and/or severe weather warnings triggernear real-time delivery of content separate from, or together with,related stored content.

[0103] Sample process 715, demultiplexing process 745, extractionprocess 728, text-to-speech process 740, speech recognition process 760,capture processes 723 and 753, and processes 733 and 768 may beperformed on a server or other network based host computer having accessto video source data 710. Specific embodiments for delivering audiostream 750 or sound file 755 to destination devices 775 are providedwith reference to FIGS. 8A-9B below.

[0104]FIG. 8A is a system diagram illustrating a functional architectureaccording to one embodiment of the invention. As shown therein, server810 is coupled to user profile data 825 and is further coupled to voicemailbox 815 via automatic load path 830. Although the functions ofserver 810 and voice mailbox 815 are distinct, persons skilled in theart will appreciate that server 810 and voice mailbox 815 may optionallybe hosted on the same computer. One or more destination devices 820 arecoupled to the voice mailbox 815 via data retrieval path 835, and mayoptionally be coupled to server 810 via link 840.

[0105] The user profile data 825 may be or include, for example, useridentifiers, topics of interest to the user, and other information. Theuser profile data 825 is loaded and periodically updated fromdestination device 820 or another device to a database accessible byserver 810.

[0106] In one embodiment, the system of FIG. 8A is configured to performthe functions described with reference to FIG. 8B.

[0107]FIG. 8B is a flow diagram illustrating a method for deliveringvideo source content according to one embodiment of the invention. Asshown therein, server 810 reads previously stored profile data 825 instep 850. Server 810 then identifies information in video source data710 relevant to topics in the user profile data 825 in step 855. Server810 transforms the relevant video source data 710 into an audio stream750 or a sound file 755 in step 860. As described above, demultiplexingprocess 745 can create audio stream 750 from video source data 710, andcapture process 753 can create sound file 755 from the audio stream 750.In one embodiment, server 810 streams audio stream 750 to voice mailbox815 in step 865. In an alternative embodiment, server 810 loads soundfile 755 to voice mailbox 815 in step 865. Server 810 plays thetransformed information (i.e., audio stream 750 or sound file 755) fromvoice mailbox 815 in step 870.

[0108] In an alternative embodiment, delivery of information todestination device 820 is under the local control of voice mailbox 815.Where destination device 820 is a wireless phone, voice mailbox 815 mayreceive Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) signals and/or voice commandsto effect the delivery of audio stream 750 or sound file 755 accordingto user input.

[0109] Where multiple media formats are delivered, server 810 may alsosend media to destination device 820 via link 840. For example, wheredestination device 820 is a smart phone, a user may simultaneouslyreceive an audio stream 750 via voice mailbox 815 and an image 720 vialink 840.

[0110]FIG. 9A is a system diagram illustrating a functional architectureaccording to one embodiment of the invention. The architecture in FIG.9A is an alternative approach to the architecture in FIG. 8A fordelivery of audio stream 750 and/or sound file 755. As shown in FIG. 9A,a Web server 910, having access to user profile data 905, and includingVoice Extensible Mark-up Language (VXML) generator 915, is coupled toVXML gateway 920. VXML gateway 920 includes Interactive Voice Response(IVR) system 925 and is coupled to client 930. Client 930 may be awired, wireless, or smart telephone, for example, having DTMF and speechinput capability 935. The description of profile data 825 above isapplicable to profile data 905. In one embodiment, the system of FIG. 9Ais configured to perform the process shown in FIG. 9B.

[0111]FIG. 9B is a flow diagram illustrating a method for deliveringvideo source content according to one embodiment of the invention. Asshown therein, Web server 910 reads previously stored profile data 905in step 940. Web server 910 then identifies information in video sourcedata 710 relevant to the user profile data 905 in step 945, andtransforms the relevant info in step 950. Server 910 optionally storesthe transformed information in step 955.

[0112] Gateway 920 receives a call from client 930, for example at atoll free number, in step 960. The VXML gateway 920 has a table thatcorrelates the toll free number with a particular Uniform ResourceLocator (URL) related to a particular application. VXML gateway 920fetches the corresponding URL on Web Server 910 in step 965, and Webserver 910 generates VXML based on code derived from the correspondingURL in step 970. Accordingly, when the VXML gateway 920 runs IVR system925 to deliver the transformed information to client 930 in step 980,the application, greeting, and content of the IVR session may betailored according to the incoming call in step 960.

[0113] In one embodiment, step 980 is, or includes, the delivery of anaudio stream 750; in another embodiment, step 980 is, or includes,delivery of a sound file 755 to be played by client 935.

[0114] In conclusion, a service for providing personalized multimediaassets such as electronic clips from video programs, based upon personalprofiles, has been presented. In one embodiment, it uses text toascertain the appropriate clips to extract and then assembles theseclips into a single session. Thus, users only see the specific portionsof videos that they desire. Therefore, users do not have to undertakethe arduous task of manually finding desired video segments, and furtherdon't have to manually select the specified videos one at a time.Rather, the invention generates all of the desired contentautomatically. Moreover, one embodiment of the invention provides animproved system and method for delivering video content to destinationdevices not adapted to receive streaming video.

[0115] While this invention has been described in various explanatoryembodiments, other embodiments and variations can be effected by aperson of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope ofthe invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for delivering content, comprising:reading profile data related to a user; automatically identifying aportion of at least one source video stream based on relevance to theprofile data; and transforming the identified portion of the at leastone source video stream into a destination media, wherein thedestination media does not comprise a video stream.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the profile data is updated.
 3. The method of claim 1,wherein the profile data comprises topical information.
 4. The method ofclaim 1, wherein automatically identifying comprises determining a startof the identified portion of the at least one source video stream and anend of the identified portion of the at least one source video stream.5. The method of claim 1, wherein transforming comprises sampling theidentified portion of the at least one source video stream, and thedestination media comprises at least one image.
 6. The method of claim1, wherein transforming comprises extracting information from theidentified portion of the at least one source video stream to yieldclosed caption text.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein transformingfurther comprises processing the closed caption text for at least one oferror correction and language translation.
 8. The method of claim 6,wherein transforming further comprises a text-to-speech conversion ofthe closed caption text into an audio stream.
 9. The method of claim 8,wherein transforming comprises storing the audio stream as a sound file.10. The method of claim 1, wherein transforming comprises demultiplexingthe at least one source video stream to yield an audio stream.
 11. Themethod of claim 10 wherein transforming further comprises speechrecognition processing of the audio stream to yield a text file.
 12. Themethod of claim 11, wherein transforming further comprises processingthe text file for at least one of error correction and languagetranslation.
 13. The method of claim 11, wherein transforming istailored to a class of destination device.
 14. The method of claim 1,further comprising delivering the destination media to at least onedestination device.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein delivering thedestination media comprises running an interactive voice response systemin response to instructions from the user.
 16. The method of claim 15,wherein delivering the destination media comprises loading a voicemailbox.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein delivering the destinationmedia comprises playing the destination media to the user in response toat least one of DTMF and voice instruction.
 18. The method of claim 15,wherein delivering the destination media includes generating VXML andstoring the VXML on a server.
 19. The method of claim 18, whereindelivering the destination media further includes receiving a call fromthe destination device in a VXML gateway.
 20. The method of claim 19,wherein delivering the destination media further includes fetching a URLfrom the server and receiving the generated VXML in the VXML gateway.21. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one destination devicecomprises at least one of a wired telephone, a wireless telephone, asmart phone, a facsimile machine, a personal digital assistant, a pager,a radio, and an electronic picture frame.
 22. The method of claim 14,wherein the at least one destination media is delivered in nearreal-time.
 23. The method of claim 14, wherein delivering thedestination media comprises storing the destination media in a serverprior to delivering the destination media to the at least onedestination device.
 24. The method of claim 14, wherein delivering thedestination media comprises storing the destination media to the atleast one destination device.
 25. The method of claim 14, whereindelivering the destination media is performed according to at least oneof a predetermined time and a predetermined time interval.
 26. Themethod of claim 14, wherein delivering the destination media isevent-triggered.
 27. A method for delivering content, comprising:reading profile data related to a user; step for automaticallyidentifying a portion of at least one source video stream based onrelevance to the profile data; and step for transforming the identifiedportion of the at least one source video stream into a destinationmedia, wherein the destination media does not comprise a video stream.28. The method of claim 27, further comprising step for delivering thedestination media to at least one destination device.
 29. A system fordelivering content, comprising: means for reading profile data relatedto a user; means for automatically identifying a portion of at least onesource video stream based on relevance to the profile data; and meansfor transforming the identified portion of the at least one source videostream into a destination media, wherein the destination media does notcomprise a video stream.
 30. The system of claim 29, further comprisingmeans for delivering the destination media to at least one destinationdevice.
 31. A system for delivering content, comprising: a serverconfigured to read profile data related to a user, automaticallyidentify a portion of at least one source video stream based onrelevance to the profile data, and transform the identified portion ofthe at least one source video stream into a destination media, whereinthe destination media does not comprise a video stream; and an interfaceto a destination device coupled to the server and configured to receivethe destination media.
 32. A system for delivering content, comprising:a server configured to read profile data related to a user,automatically identify a portion of at least one source video streambased on relevance to the profile data, and transform the identifiedportion of the at least one source video stream into an audio file; andan interface to a voice mailbox, wherein the voice mailbox is configuredto receive the audio file from the server and play the audio file inresponse to at least one of DTMF and voice instruction from the user.33. A system for delivering content, comprising: a server configured toread profile data related to a user, automatically identify a portion ofat least one source video stream based on relevance to the profile data,transform the identified portion of the at least one source video streaminto an audio file, store the audio file, and generate VXML related tothe stored audio file; and a VXML gateway, wherein the VXML gateway iscoupled to the server and configured to receive the generated VXML. 34.The system of claim 33, further comprising an interface to at least onedestination device coupled to the VXML gateway, and wherein the VXMLgateway is configured to deliver the audio file to the at least onedestination device via an interactive voice response system.
 35. Asystem for delivering content, comprising: a server configured to readprofile data related to a user, automatically identify a portion of atleast one source video stream based on relevance to the profile data,transform the identified portion of the at least one source video streaminto an audio stream, store the audio stream, and generate VXML relatedto the stored audio stream; and a VXML gateway, wherein the VXML gatewayis coupled to the server and configured to receive the generated VXML.36. The system of claim 35, further comprising an interface to at leastone destination device coupled to the VXML gateway, and wherein the VXMLgateway is configured to deliver the audio stream to the at least onedestination device via an interactive voice response system.
 37. Amethod for conveying information derived from a source video stream to auser comprising: searching for at least one portion of the source videostream based on preferences of the user; selecting at least one deliverymedium based on at least one of the user's destination devices; andtransforming the at least one portion of the source video stream intothe at least one delivery medium.
 38. The method of claim 37, furthercomprising transmitting the at least one transformed portion of thesource video stream to the at least one of the user's destinationdevices.